Panel-board fitting.



H. U. BADEAU.

PANEL BOARD FITTING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15. 1914.

Patented May 25, 1915.

1 1%1 Q3QD \v A K HARRY 'U. BADEAU, 013' BRIDGEPQET, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE PERKINS ELEGTRIC SWITCH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTI- CUT, A CORPORATION 03 DUEH-T'FGTIUU'I'.

FANEL-BDAERD FITTING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1%15.

Application filed September 15, 1814. Serial No. 861,797.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HARRY U" BADEAU, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing at Bridgeport, in the county of F airfield and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and Improved Panel- Board Fitting, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to panel board fittings and particularly to an improved cover for switch fittings, the object of my device is a cross section on the line 44, Fig. 1.

The fitting here shown is of common type comprising an insulating base 5 having adjacent one end transverse grooves 6, [or the cable mains 7. Connections are made in the usual manner therefrom to the branch wires 8, through the switch S and fuse plugs (not shown) inserted in the receptacles 1). it has already been proposed to cover a fitting of this character with an insulated inctallic cover plate; but as heretofore constructed it is necessary to carry a double line of cover plates, one style for fittings so arranged that the branch wires are led in one direction from the mains, and a second style for fittings so arranged that the branch Wires can tend in the opposite direction from the mains, or in other words where the base of the fitting is mounted in reversed position.

The present cover plate may be used whether the fitting is so arranged that the branch wires extend from one side or the other of the mains. In the form here shown the cover comprises a sheet metal plate l0 substantially coextensive in area with the base 5 and insulated therefrom and from the metal parts mounted thereon a sheet of fiber, heavy paper or other insulating lining 11, attached thereto by rivets 1'2. Ehe cover plate is apertured in register with the fuse plug receptacles 9 it also above the plate and receive the operating thumb piece 16. On the switch spindle is carried an indicating dial 17 which rotates with the switch mechanism and carries suitable indications to disclose the on or off position of the switch S. The insulating lining 11 is scgmentally apertured at 18, 18 on opposite sides of the switch spindle in register with the indications on the dial 1.? and thus aliords sight apertures through which the indications may be read.

The cover plate 10 is provided with elongated apertures 19, 1%), overlying the sight apertures 18, 18 in the lining 11 and formed in presscd-up channels 20, 20", which extend loi'igitudinally inward from one end of the cover plate. lflach channel affords a guideway for a strip 21 of paper, celluloid, or the like carrying a legend to indicate the circuit controlled by the switch 3. This legend is written at one end of the strip so that when the latter is inserted between the insulating lining 11, and the face plate 10, in the channel 20 the legend is exposed at the aperture 19 Inasmuch as the strip 21 overlies the lining 11, it covers the sigl'it aperture 11%", therein and the dial 1? is visible only through the apertures 18 and 19*";

When the position of the fitting is reversed from that shownin Fig. 1, so that the branch wires 3 lead to the right, (as in Fig. 2) the legend strip 21 is removed from channel 20, turned o er to expose the printed legend on its opposite face, and in sorted in channel 20 which is now lowermost, and through which the printed on or Off on the dial 17 (thereby obscured) would read backward. The dial 17 is now exposed through apertures 18 and 19 Where a number of fittings are arranged on a panel leading the branch wires from opposite sides of central mains, the dial sight apertures are thus maintained uniformly above the switch buttons 16, while the circuit legends are arranged uniformly below the butto s, thus presenting a desirable ap-i pearance f symmetry.

The cover plate is secured to the fitting by means bf the switch thumb piece 16, and also by the heads of fuse plugs when the latter are inserted in the receptacles 9. To

further position the cover upon the fitting, it is provided with a test 22 which enters a recess 23 in the upper face of the base of the porcelain. The plate is thus prevented from swiveling on the switch spindle 15 when there are no fuse plugs inserted in the receptacles 9.

Various modifications of the construction shown will readily suggest themselves, and I do not limit my invention to the particular features shown.

I claim as my invention:

1. In panel board fittings, a sheet metal cover plate apertured to permit the passage of a switch stem therethrough and having apertures spaced therefrom and symmetrically arranged on opposite sides thereof, a switch indicating dial having a lettered portion in register with said apertures, a circuit legend carrier adjustable at either of said apertures and serving to obscure the dial at one aperture, together with means for holding said legend carrier in adjusted position.

2. In panel board fittings, a sheet metal cover plate having a raised boss centrally apertured to permit the passage of a switch spindle therethrough and apertures in said cover plate symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of said boss, a switch indlcatmg dial having a lettered portion in register with said apertures and a circuit legend carrier adjustable at either of said apertures andserving to obscure the dial at one aperture, together with means for holding said legend carrier'in adjusted position. I

3. In panel board fittings, a sheet metal. cover apertured to permit the passage of a switch stem therethrough longitudinal channels in said cover plate extending from one end thereof past said aperture for the switch spindle and symmetrically arranged on opposite sides thereof, said channels being apcrturcd, a switch indicating dial having a lettered portion in register with said apex? tures and a circuit legend carrier adjiu-itable at either of said apcrtums and serving to obscure the dial at one aperture, together .with means for holding said legend carrier in adjusted position.

4C. In panel board fittings, a sheet metal cover plate having a raised boss centrally apertured to permit the passage of a switch spindle therethrough, longitudinal channels formed in said cover plate symmetrically on opposite sides of said boss and extending to one end of said cover plate, said channels being apertured symmetrically on opposite sides of the, boss, together with a switch dial having a lettered portion in area of the apertures in said channels, to-'.

gether with a circuit legend carrier adjust able in either of said channels between the lining and the cover plate and serving to obscure one of the apertures in the lining. i

6. In panel board fittings, a sheet metalcover plate having a raised boss centrally apertured to permit the passage of a switch spindle therethrough, channels formed in said cover plate symmetrically. on opposite sides of said boss and extending to one end of the cover plate, said channels having elongated apertures formed therein symmetrically on opposite sides of said boss, an insulating lining for said plate segmentally apertured symmetrically on opposite sides of said boss within the area of the elongated apertures of the channels, together with a switch dial. visible through said apertures and a circuit legend .arrier adjustable in either of said channels and obscuring the dial at one of said apertures, substantially as described.

7. In panel. board fittings, a sheet metal cover plate apertured to permit the passage of a switch stem therethrough, a teat at the opposite end of said coverplatc, said fitting having a base apertured to receive said teat, for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. H. U. BADEAU.

'Witnesses H. M. WVIGHERT, A. H. Jones. 

